Shia Waqf Board nod for Ram temple, wants mosque in Lucknow

Lucknow, Nov 20 (IANS) Shia Central Waqf Board on Monday issued a draft on the resolution of the Ayodhya dispute, in which it argued for construction of Ram Mandir at the contested property, while writing to the state government for a mosque in Lucknow.

The draft was presented by Waqf Board Chairman Wasim Rizvi and the priest of All India Akhara Council, Narendra Giri, to the media. It was earlier submitted to the Supreme Court on Saturday.

Rizvi told reporters that it had been proposed in the draft that the name of the mosque should not be after any emperor, and it should be called Mosque of Peace or “Aman ki Masjid”.

He said that the Board had written to the Uttar Pradesh government for granting land to Shia Muslims at a designated place for the mosque, which the board would construct through a committee by raising money at its level.

The Supreme Court would now decide on the draft, Rizvi said.

He added that Waqf would not stake any claim to the disputed Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid property and would not have any issue if Hindus built a temple there.

The Ayodhya dispute is centred on a plot of land in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya to which both Hindus and Muslims claim stake.